Anyone can save a life

The chances of surviving a cardiac arrest drop by about 10% with every minute that passes. While defibrillation within 3-5 minutes of collapse can produce survival rates up to 50-70%.

So, it is crucial for patients to receive bystander intervention before an ambulance arrives.

Growing public knowledge of CPR and defibrillation, increases the chance of people being able to save a life.

Analysis by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) has revealed that 150 neighbourhoods are ‘defibrillator deserts’ – where there is little or no access to a lifesaving device.

The London Heart Starters Campaign aims to raise funds for an additional 200 public-access defibrillators in unlocked cabinets where they are needed most. In addition, the London Lifesaver Campaign aims to make the capital a city of lifesavers by equipping Londoners with CPR skills and helping them become familiar with using a defibrillator.

The Transport for London (TfL) estate has 500 Public Accessible Defibrillators (PAD). Last year those PADs were called upon to be used over 60 times.

Tomorrow, Members of the London Assembly Health Committee will visit Liverpool Street Station, where they will observe a pop-up London Lifesaver training. Also, a commuter whose life was saved will be reunited with the LAS crews who worked on him.

MEDIA ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THIS FILMING/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY BY PRIOR ARRANGEMENT

Location: Liverpool Street Station, Main Ticket Hall

Date:  Thursday 27 February 2025

Time: 10.30am-12pm  

Interviewees will include:

• Krupesh Hirani AM - Chair of the London Assembly Health Committee
• Samantha Palfreyman Jones - Head of Community Resuscitation and Paramedic, LAS
• Danny Bliss – Senior SHE Business Partner, TfL
• Paul Benson - had a cardiac arrest at Liverpool Street Station. He was helped by bystanders and TfL staff using the station’s defibrillator. This joint effort kept him alive until LAS crews arrived, and he was later taken to a Heart Attack Centre.